


Collecting Strays

by AmazonX



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt, Jack Hanna, Pets, Yelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2013-06-08
Packaged: 2017-12-14 09:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmazonX/pseuds/AmazonX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve thinks it's a surprise, but Tony loses his mind!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collecting Strays

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I like the fluff. It helps me learn the characters' voices and it's fun! Thank you to Emyrldlady for beta, and katertots for your constant support. :) Enjoy and kudos and comments are love!

After a deep breath, Steve walked into the large collaborative lab in Avengers’ Tower, where Tony, Jane, Bruce and Erik were working that afternoon. He was hoping his wife was there, since he knew Darcy would throw a fit when he showed her what he’d found. He just hoped the “awww” factor outweighed the anger he knew it would incite.

“Hello, Dr. Foster, have you seen Darcy?” he asked, looking around the large space. He was sure she’d be there, helping out while he was out.

“Uh, no, sorry. Coffee, maybe? And I was in your wedding party, you can call me Jane,” she said. Jane was distracted by her laptop, as usual, but she was aware enough that she looked up to Steve and smiled. But when his surprise for Darcy popped out of his shirt pocket, its sudden appearance was enough to make Jane jump.

“Holy Christmas, is that a cat?!” she asked, putting her hand on her chest, as if to keep her heart inside.

“Uh, yeah. She’s for Darcy…sorta…”

“What part of ‘no more animals’ don’t you get, Rogers? Early onset Alzheimer’s? You can’t keep that mongrel in this tower!”

“Oh, Tony, look at her, she’s adorbz!” Jane said, then shook her head. “I just said adorbz…Darcy is rubbing off on me.”

“She’ll love this little stinker, huh?” Steve said, pulling the kitten from his pocket. The small animal was all gray and fluffy, still with a few snags of matted fur and a sad little bald spot where she had a cut on her left hind leg. But she was a feisty little thing, and she’d fought Steve at first when he rescued her, which made his mind up about giving her to Darcy, since they were obviously kindred spirits.

“Well, I mean, you have those dogs, too. Although, they were so cute pulling the flower girl and ring bearer in that wagon at your wedding,” Jane gushed.

“No, not one more pet. I let you have the dogs. Natasha has that damned rodent…”

“It’s a ferret, Tony,” Steve interjected.

“Whatever…and that goddam bird brain bastard has those fucking…what are they?”

“It’s a falcon. He has a falcon. He doesn't have any other birds, Tony. Sam only has the one. If you mean Clint, they’re love birds. You have to have two, they mate for life.”

“I don’t fucking care! I’m not Jack Hanna! This is not the animal segment of the Tonight Show! No more!”

“No more what?” Darcy asked, walking into the room. Steve quickly turned from her and stuffed the kitten into his pocket again, trying to muffle her cry, but failed.

“What was that?” she asked, putting the two trays of coffees on the work table. 

“Uh, what was what, doll?” he asked. He was going to use all of his old affectionate terms for her because he knew it softened her up.

“I heard a squeak…or a…turn around, Steven Grant Rogers.” Darcy stood behind her husband, fists on her hips and waited. Steve’s head fell and he turned to her, fluffy gray tail sticking out of his shirt pocket.

“Oh, Thor in Asgard, what is that?! Is it a…” and the mew from Steve’s shirt cut her off. “A kitten? You…where?” Darcy rolled her eyes and let out a defeated sigh, pressing her palm to her forehead.

“A dumpster on the east side, downtown. She was near the bottom, and I’m pretty sure, if they’d collected the trash, she’d have been crushed to death! I had to save her, princess,” he said, tipping his head down to give her the puppy dog eyes. Steve was very good at that, and he knew it.

“You’re hauling out my honorary title and the eyes? Really, Steven?” It was then that Darcy noticed the bandage on Steve’s right hand. It wrapped around and she could see bruising on his fingers.

“What did you do to your hand?” she asked, reaching out to take it and cradle it.

“Well, she was near the bottom, so I kinda…tore the dumpster open…and hurt my hand. They stitched me up at the vet’s office, though. I think they did a really good job. Pull ‘em out later, dollface?”

Darcy kissed her husband’s hand and sighed again. He was the nicest man she knew. He could never turn down a kid or an animal. She reached out and took the fluffy kitten from his shirt, as she was lying back too look around and almost fell out.

“She got a name yet?” Darcy asked, kissing the soft fluffy head.

“No, not yet. You got an idea?”

The kitten reached up to swipe at Darcy with claws bared and then went about licking said paw.

“Peggy. How’s that for ya, soldier?” she asked.

Steve blushed. “She was a spitfire all right. Sounds good, sassy girl. Come on, I’ll take you out for a malted, huh?”

“My hero.”

“I hate all of you,” Tony mumbled and went back to his hotrod.


End file.
